On Sunday, 1 November 2026, just two days before the election, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan, made an unexpected move. She withdrew her support for her party's candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, and publicly endorsed Republican Mike Rogers in the race for a Senate seat.
Stevens, who lost to El-Sayed in the August primary, appeared alongside Rogers at a service at Perfecting Church in Detroit. A little later, she posted a video on social media in which she stated: "Our Democratic candidate Abdul said I'm no longer needed in his campaign and should stay away. And he's right. So I'm endorsing Mike Rogers for U.S. senator today."
The reason for the break was a conflict over an ad by a third-party group linking military aid to Israel with rising food prices, which Stevens called antisemitic. She also stressed that she does not support the left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who is associated with El-Sayed's campaign.
Rogers called Stevens's endorsement "an honest act in politics" and said it was a statement of unity against hatred. El-Sayed, for his part, noted that the primary is already behind them and that he does not think about Stevens.
The move caused a split in the Michigan Democratic Party. Stevens, who had previously tried to preserve unity after her defeat, has now openly crossed the line. What does this mean for the party's chances in a key state where the outcome of the race could affect control of the Senate?
The race in Michigan remains one of the most closely contested in the country. Stevens's endorsement gives Rogers additional momentum in the fight for votes, especially among Black and Jewish voters. Democrats, meanwhile, are facing a public split at the most inopportune moment.
Stevens stressed that she remains a Democrat and believes in the party's victory in the Senate overall, but this one vote became a matter of principle for her. The events are unfolding against the backdrop of a fierce struggle in which personal disagreements have come to the fore.
